News

Keep Them Going: Another Name Gone From WWE

June 30, 2021 • Admin

This is a bit different. There have been a lot of departures from WWE this year and most of them have been for the same reason. WWE has cut all kinds of wrestlers and backstage workers over the course of the year, with no reason to believe that they are done just yet. It can be rather sad to see so many people losing their jobs, but one of the recent departures might not have been the same. According to Fightful Select, Sonjay Dutt has left his position as a backstage producer for WWE. There is no word on why he has departed the company, though PWInsider.com is reporting that Dutt gave his notice and left the company rather than being fired or released. A former Impact Wrestling X-Division Champion, Dutt began working backstage for WWE in 2019 but was furloughed during the Coronavirus pandemic, coming back in December 2020. There is no word on what Dutt has planned going forward. He has not wrestled a match since December 2017. Dutt had quite the in-ring career. Check out some of his..

NXT Is Starting A New Tournament Next Month

June 30, 2021 • Admin

Do it again. Tournaments are an easy concept in wrestling. You take a bunch of people, give them a prize to fight over and the last one standing wins. It can be anything from individual wrestlers to regular teams to makeshift pairings or something else fighting for money, glory, a title or even a title shot. WWE certainly loves its tournament and now they are bringing one back. The second Breakout Tournament was announced during this week’s edition of NXT, with the first round beginning on June 13. The tournament will see eight wrestlers competing in a single elimination competition, with the winner receiving a title shot of their choice. There were no wrestlers named or brackets revealed, but the tournament will be made of young wrestlers who have not had a big chance yet. The tournament was first held in 2019 with Jordan Myles winning and ultimately challenging NXT Champion Adam Cole in a losing effort. The first edition worked pretty well. Check out the announcement and how it has..

Title Change Takes Place On NXT In Unannounced Match

June 30, 2021 • Admin

History has been made! There are all kinds of titles on the WWE roster and that means it can be hard to keep track of all of them. The company has to make sure that the belts stay as valuable as possible, with the best method being to have people fight over them. Nothing makes a championship look more valuable than someone wanting to win it, which is what took place this week. This week on NXT, Isaiah Scott defeated Bronson Reed to win the North American Title. Scott pinned Reed with a 450 splash to the back after interference from his Hit Row teammates. The win is Scott’s first title in NXT and ends Reed’s reign at 42 days. The title change comes as Reed is being scouted to be called up to the main roster, having wrestled a match last week on Main Event. That’s some history. Check out how the match went down, plus what you can expect from the new champ: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] ..

WWE Planning Some Very Odd Name Changes

June 30, 2021 • Admin

That’s the best they have? Wrestling names are some of the most important parts of a wrestler’s full package, as the wrong name can ruin a career in a hurry. I don’t think Hulk Hogan would have done as well if he had been named Bob Smith or Undertaker would be quite the legend if he was Smiley Montgomery. WWE has some rather interesting names, and now we might be seeing some more of them. According to HeelByNature.com, WWE has applied for trademarks for “Nikki ASH” and “Happy Corbin”. Nikki Cross debuted the ASH nickname on this week’s Monday Night Raw, announcing that it stood for “Almost A Superhero”. There is no word on how the Corbin name will be used, though King Corbin’s name was changed back to Baron Corbin after he lost his King’s Crown to Shinsuke Nakamura. What could be. Check out the people likely to use these new names in better times: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opini..

Released WWE Stars Facing Immigration Issues

June 30, 2021 • Admin

They might be in trouble. The biggest WWE story of the year has been their massive releases, with dozens of wrestlers being let go from the company. Some of these are higher profile names than others, but there are some people in there who are going to be able to get something going outside of WWE. That would seem to be easy for two of them, but they are having some issues making it work. Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay, formerly known as Peyton Royce and Billie Kay as the IIconics, appeared on a recent edition of Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast. During the interview, the two mentioned that they do not have Green Cards, leaving them unable to work at the moment. Their other option is to have someone sponsor them on a visa, though that has not been the case. They also mentioned that they are trying to keep their names out there, even though they are unable to work at the moment. The team signed with WWE in 2015 and wrestled both together and on their own until 2018. They were calle..

NXT Live Coverage And Results – June 29, 2021

June 29, 2021 • Admin

NXT Date: June 29, 2021 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett It’s the go home show for the Great American Bash and a lot of the card is either set or all but set. They still have a few hours to get the rest of it ready and that should work out well, though I’m not sure how much they are going to put on the show. Samoa Joe still has people to choke out too so let’s get to it. Opening recap. Shotzi Blackheart/Ember Moon vs. Dakota Kai/Raquel Gonzalez vs. Io Shirai/Zoey Stark The winners get a Tag Team Title shot next week. Moon and Shirai starts in on Gonzalez, who runs them both over with straight power. Blackheart comes in to springboard armdrag Gonzalez but Kai makes the save. Everything breaks down and they all brawl on the floor, setting up dives from Shirai and Moon, followed by a heck of a springboard dive from Stark to take everyone out. We take a break and come back with Gonzalez in control over Blackheart and Shirai, in..

RUMOR KILLER On Huge WWE Backstage Change

June 29, 2021 • Admin

That’s a change. There have been all kinds of shifts backstage in WWE this year as the company continues to be shaken up. Some of these are a lot bigger than others, with some names who have been around for a very long time being gone from the company. That seemed to be the case again, but it seems that one story might have jumped the gun just a little bit. Rumors have been swirling over WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Canyon Ceman leaving the company. However, according to PWInsider.com, sources inside WWE say that the rumors are completely inaccurate and Ceman is still with the company. Ceman has been with WWE since 2012 and has mainly worked in scouting, along with overseeing NXT and WWE developmental. He has some responsibilities. Check out some of what Ceman has overseen: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I’m not sure what is going on backstage in WWE these..

Vince McMahon Personally Scouting WWE Talent

June 29, 2021 • Admin

His opinion matters. Vince McMahon is the most powerful person in wrestling history and that is not going to change for a very long time to come. A single decision made by McMahon can change everything about a wrestler’s career as McMahon’s endorsement or influence can make or break someone’s career. Some new wrestlers might be getting the chance to see what kind of an influence he has. According to Fightful Select, McMahon will be at the WWE Performance Center later this week to personally evaluate talent. This comes as NXT wrestlers have been working matches prior to Monday Night Raw and SmackDown in recent weeks as part of a plan to re-energize the main roster. WWE executives Bruce Prichard and John Laurinaitis have made recent trips to watch private events held at the Performance Center. WWE scouting can be rather interesting. Check out how the process goes: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click t..

Former WWE World Champion Open To Returning

June 29, 2021 • Admin

Are they interested? There have been a lot of wrestlers to come and go through WWE over the years with some of them being more famous than others. Only a handful have reached the top of the company as the World Champion though, and that is the case for a reason. Holding one of those championships is a special honor and now someone who has done it before is interested in returning. During an interview with SportsKeeda, Alberto El Patron, formerly known as Alberto Del Rio in WWE, said that he would be open to a return to WWE in the future. El Patron said that he is sorry for the mistakes that he made and would consider a return as he has learned nothing is personal in wrestling. He mentioned that several of his issues with WWE took place as he was going through a divorce, which put him into a depression. There is no word on if WWE would be interested in having him back, possibly due to El Patron’s ex-fiance Paige working for the company. The two of them have accused each other of domest..

REVIEW: WrestleReunion VI: The Stars Are Out

June 29, 2021 • Admin

Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over ten years now and have reviewed over 5,000 shows. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ll be posting a new review here on Wrestlingrumors.net. It could be anything from modern WWE to old school to indies to anything in between. Note that I rate using letters instead of stars and I don’t rate matches under three minutes as really, how good or bad can something that short be? WrestleReunion VI Date: January 28, 2012 Location: The Westin Los Angeles Airport, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 900 Commentators: Excalibur, Marty DeRosa I’m not completely sure on the name of this show as I’ve seen it as both WrestleReunion VI and Pro Wrestling Superstars: Los Angeles but I’ll take the one with Roman numerals. As you can probably guess, it’s a big time indy reunion show featuring a bunch of wrestlers from years past, which can make for some interesting matchups but often some lackluster perfo..

VIDEO: Wrestling Match Serves As Gender Reveal

June 29, 2021 • Admin

That might be taking it a bit too far. Wrestling holds a weird place in the world. Most people understand that it is scripted and go along with it, though sometimes things can get a little confusing. There is a weird middle ground between understanding and accepting, though every now and then you see a situation take place where people outside of wrestling try to understand it. That was the case recently, and it was rather bizarre. Last weekend, a gender reveal party with a wrestling theme was held in Eugene, Oregon. The two wrestlers, named Baby Boy and Baby Girl, had a match with the winner determining the baby’s gender. Baby Boy was about to win via submission when the referee got distracted, allowing a chair shot to let Baby Girl win. The match took place in a ring with a grass mat and fans watching around the ring. This is one of those things you kind of have to see. Check out the match and some similar moments from WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post con..

Samoa Joe Opens Up On Return To NXT, New Responsibilities

June 29, 2021 • Admin

I’m sure there’s a spot for him. One of the biggest wrestling stories of the year has been the string of WWE releases. Dozens of wrestlers have been let go from the company of the course of the last few months and there is a chance that it will continue as the year goes on. Out of all of the releases, one has a bit of a different story though, as he is already back with the company. He might be doing even more than that. Samoa Joe was a guest on Ryan Satin’s Out Of Character podcast and mentioned that he was working to get cleared for an in-ring return, but would not elaborate beyond saying “absolutely”. He has not wrestled since February 2020 due to a series of concussions and there is no word on when he would be cleared to wrestle again. In response to being asked who he would like to face, Samoa Joe mentioned Pete Dunne, Walter and Bronson Reed among others. During the same interview, Samoa Joe also mentioned that he is now working in the talent scouting department alongside Canyo..

Another Star Set For Money In The Bank Ladder Match

June 29, 2021 • Admin

One more spot. We are less than a month away from Money In The Bank and the ladder matches are going to get some serious focus. The matches are the signatures of the event and this year will again feature the men’s and women’s version with eight entrants each. That should make for some big matches, but we need eight people per match. Now another one of those spots has been filled. This week on Monday Night Raw, Drew McIntyre defeated Riddle and AJ Styles in a triple threat match to earn a spot in the men’s Money In The Bank ladder match. Riddle was replacing Randy Orton, who missed the show due to unknown reasons. The match consisted of wrestlers who had been defeated in their qualifying matches last week. McIntyre joins Riddle, Ricochet and John Morrison from Monday Night Raw and Big E. from SmackDown. It was a heck of a fight. Check out how the match went and how the participants got here: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [Thi..

WWE RUMOR: Note On WWE’s Final Weeks In The ThunderDome

June 29, 2021 • Admin

Time to wrap it up. After nearly a year and a half, WWE is finally getting back on the road after the Coronavirus pandemic trapped them in Florida. That means things are going to start picking up again in the second half of July, but there is still some work to be done before we get there. That includes a good bit of television left and now we know an important detail about one of them. According to the WrestleVotes Twitter account, the final WWE TV show airing from the ThunderDome will be taped. WWE’s final show airing from the venue will be the July 12 Monday Night Raw, which will be taped the previous Monday in a double show. The last show to air from the venue live will be the July 9 SmackDown before the company heads back on the road the following week. Looks like WWE’s final live show inside the ThunderDome will be the Friday July 9th edition of SmackDown. The July 12th episode of RAW will be the final ThunderDome show, however, will be taped the week prior. — WrestleVotes (@W..

Important Update On Damian Priest’s WWE Status

June 29, 2021 • Admin

That’s a relief. Wrestlers are like any other athletes in that they can get hurt in the blink of an eye. Someone can go on the shelf in a hurry due to a variety of issues and it can be rather hard to watch someone sitting on the sidelines for long stretches of time. It can be even more annoying when someone is on a hot streak, which was the case earlier this year. That changed this week. Damian Priest made his return to WWE television during this week’s Monday Night Raw. Priest appeared in a battle royal for a spot in the Money in the Bank qualifying match later in the night to open the show, as well as talking to Riddle backstage later. Priest gave Riddle a pep talk before he wrestled in the qualifying match, with Riddle seeming to appreciated it. This was Priest’s first appearance since the May 17 edition of Monday Night Raw. There are conflicting reports about why Priest has been gone, ranging from a back injury to WWE not having anything for him to do. Priest debuted on the main ..

Return Already Scheduled For Next Week’s Monday Night Raw

June 29, 2021 • Admin

It might not be so long. Every now and then, a wrestler is going to miss some time for one reason or another. That can make for some interesting situations, as fans have to wait around to find out why they are out of action. This could be for the sake of a few reasons and it makes fans wonder when they are going to be back. We already know how fast someone is going to be appearing again. This week on Monday Night Raw, a match was announced for next week’s show featuring Xavier Woods vs. Bobby Lashley. The announcement comes a week after Woods was defeated by Lashley in a Hell In A Cell match. Following the match, Lashley attacked Woods again, which led to news that he could be missing some time. Woods was not present on this week’s Monday Night Raw. Woods is a heck of a star. Check out what he can do in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I’m glad that Woods is back and now ..

Monday Night Raw Live Coverage And Results – June 28, 2021

June 29, 2021 • Admin

Monday Night Raw Date: June 28, 2021 Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton We’ll wrap up the first half of the year as we are on the way towards the Money In The Bank. A lot of the spots have already been filled in and this week we are finishing up the Raw’s men’s qualifiers with a triple threat match. I’ll take that over the building momentum matches so let’s get to it. Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville tell us that Randy Orton is out of the triple threat match for reasons beyond WWE’s control. Therefore we are going to have a battle royal for the spot….but here is Riddle with a (football shaped) letter from Orton, saying Riddle should get the spot. The bosses think Riddle wrote the letter, mainly because most of these words aren’t real and there is a viper drawn in the corner. Riddle offers to wrestle on Orton’s behalf and giving Orton the spot if he wins. Deal. Battle Royal Riddle, Erik, Ivar, Jinder Mahal, Angel Garza, R-Tr..

Ring Of Honor TV Results – June 23, 2021

June 28, 2021 • Admin

Ring of Honor Date: June 23, 2021 Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman We’re rapidly approaching Best In The World but at the same time we are well on the way through the Survival Of The Fittest Tournament. It would not surprise me to see those two things cross over, with either the finals taking place at the pay per view or the winner getting their title shot there. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show and runs down the card. Bandido wants Bateman at his best because this is the first step towards Bandido becoming World Champion. Bateman says it’s all about how much you want it. He and Bandido are polar opposites but anyone is going down to his elbow. Bateman will walk through anyone to get what he wants. Survival Of The Fittest Qualifying Match: Bateman vs. Bandido The rest of the Righteous is here with Bateman….and are ejected before the bell. We don’t get the Code Of Honor but we do ge..

205 Live Results – June 25, 2021

June 28, 2021 • Admin

205 Live Date: June 25, 2021 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph Well this show suddenly means nothing as most of the roster has been released, meaning I have no idea what to expect from this series going forward. That may or may not be a good thing, but it is fairly clear that 205 Live is going to get a heck of a shakeup following this taped edition. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Ikemen Jiro vs. Ariya Daivari Jiro, now in a corn on the cob jacket, gets taken down by the wrist to start but comes right back with a headlock. Back up and a running knee to the ribs puts Jiro down but he is fine enough to bust out a handstand in the corner. A Delfin clutch gets two on Daivari, who is right back with a reverse DDT onto the apron. Some right hands to the head set up a chinlock on Jiro and Daivari kicks him hard in the ribs. Jiro fights up with a suplex and some running forearms, setting up a double springboard moonsault. The..

WWE “Legend” Getting His Own Video Game

June 28, 2021 • Admin

Only in wrestling. There are certain people in wrestling who would probably not be anywhere near as big of a star elsewhere. Wrestling lends itself to tall tales and pure insanity at times, and some wrestlers have completely embraced this concept. When you see that take place, it can be incredibly interesting and one of the most fascinating of them all is getting some special treatment. Former WWE star Mike Jones, better known as Virgil, has announced that Meat Sauce Madness, a mobile game inspired by him, will be released on July 4. The game will feature Jones trying to make it to the main event, while eating beef and breadsticks. A portion of the proceeds of the game will be donated to malnourished families. Here is the official announcement of the game, courtesy of 411mania.com: On July 4, 2021, The Magen Group will be releasing Meatsauce Madness worldwide for play on all Apple and Android mobile devices. We hope you’re hungry! Inspired by his passion/obsession for Meatsauce and ..